Abstract: A steering wheel for a vehicle comprising: i) a hub adapted to be mounted on a steering column of a vehicle; ii) a rim coupled to the hub; iii) a rim material covering at least a part of the rim; iv) at least one bladder disposed between the rim and the rim material; v) a fluid pump configured to inflate and to deflate the at least one bladder; and vi) a control module coupled to at least one vehicle sensor and configured to control the operation of the fluid pump.

Abstract: A thermal management method and system in a vehicle include a chiller to cause heat transfer between a coolant loop that defines a path in which a coolant circulates and a refrigerant loop that defines a path in which a refrigerant circulates. The system includes an electronic expansion valve (EXV) in the refrigerant loop to control a flow of the refrigerant into a first part of the chiller, and a coolant pump in the coolant loop to control a flow of the coolant into a second part of the chiller. A controller controls the EXV and the coolant pump based on a target amount for the heat transfer.

Abstract: A metallic component includes a core formed of steel. A zinc alloy layer is disposed on the core. The zinc alloy layer is formed of zinc and a very small amount of aluminum, such as 0.14 weight percent or less. A method of creating a component includes providing a steel core, providing a zinc bath consisting of essentially of 0.01 to 0.14 weight percent aluminum, and hot dipping the steel core into the zinc bath to form a zinc coating on the steel core resulting in a zinc-coated steel component. The aluminum may be provided in even lower contents, such as less than 0.08 weight percent, or even less than 0.05 weight percent. The zinc-coated steel component may then be spot welded to another component without first annealing the zinc-coated component. Rather, heat treating is performed locally at the weld joint by the welding procedure alone.

Abstract: The present technology pertains to visualization of maps used for autonomous vehicle applications. These maps include many layers of dense information. Each layer can be stored in a vector format and small portions, called tiles, of a map can be requested by a users web browser. The web browser can filter for desired layers and render all desired map layers at once to provide visualization of map and layers of interest.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) is described herein. The AV is configured to identify an occluded region where a portion of a field of view of a sensor is occluded by an object. The AV is further configured to hypothesize that an object exists in the occluded region and is moving in the occluded region. The AV is still further configured to perform a driving maneuver based upon the hypothesized object existing in the occluded region.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adapting a driving condition of a vehicle. The system includes a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a pre-programmed driving maneuver of the vehicle. The system also includes a processor configured to obtain audio data of acoustic sources in the environment of the vehicle. The processor is further configured to determine a receiving direction of the acoustic source based on the audio data. The processor is further configured to determine whether the acoustic source are located within the maneuver of the vehicle based on the pre-programmed or updated driving maneuvers and the determined receiving direction of the acoustic source. Furthermore, the processor is configured to determine a range between the vehicle and the acoustic source in order to determine that the acoustic source is located within the driving path of the vehicle.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein examples of system and procedure for generating a model to be implemented within autonomous vehicles for identifying assertive vehicles at an intersection having stop indicators. The model can be generated via data-driven procedure where captures of the movement of vehicles through an intersection are analyzed and utilized for generating the model. The model may be provided to the autonomous vehicles and may be implemented by the autonomous vehicles for identifying assertive vehicles.

Abstract: A comparing module receives first data regarding surroundings of a vehicle from a plurality of sensors in the vehicle, receives second data regarding the surroundings from the plurality of sensors after receiving the first data, compares the first data to the second data, and determines a first difference between the first data and the second data based on the comparison of the first data to the second data. A perception module generates a first set of perception results based on the first data, generates a second set of perception results based on the second data, and determines a second difference between the first data and the second data based on the first set of perception results and the second set of perception results. A diagnostics module determines whether one of the sensors or the perception module is faulty based on a combination of the first difference and the second difference.

Abstract: A data management platform for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) is provided. The data management platform can receive, from an AV at a first time, a first copy of a manifest including a creation history of a transformed object generated by the AV and a data integrity value corresponding to the transformed object. The data management platform can receive, from a second computing system at a second time, a second copy of the manifest. The data management platform can reconcile the first copy and the second copy. The data management platform can receive, from the second computing system at a third time, a request to upload the transformed object. The data management platform can validate the transformed object stored in storage of the first computing system based on the data integrity value included in the manifest.

Abstract: The present application relates to a system and method for receiving, via a microphone array, an incoming acoustic signal including a desired signal and an undesired signal, performing a first minimum variance distortionless response beamforming operation on the incoming acoustic signal to isolate the desired signal, performing a second minimum variance distortionless response beamforming operation, by the signal processor, on the incoming acoust signal to isolate the undesired signal, filtering the desired signal to generate a filtered desired signal, combining an inverse of the filtered desired signal with the undesired signal to generate a combined undesired signal, filtering the combined undesired signal to generate a filtered combined undesired signal, combining an inverse of the combined undesired signal and the desired signal to generate an output signal, and generating a data signal in response to the output signal for transmission via a wireless network.

Abstract: A method in a rate adaptive system includes categorizing, by an encoder, a plurality of clusters of data in a segmented image into one of a plurality of categories corresponding to a different predetermined label with a predetermined priority level; vectorizing, by the encoder, the data to generate a sparse vector xi for its corresponding label; encoding, by the encoder, a plurality of the sparse vectors xi by multiplying a measurement matrix Ai(t) with the sparse vector xi to generate a set of encoded information yi; transmitting, by the encoder to the decoder, the plurality of sets of the encoded information yi in a prioritized order; decoding, by the decoder, the plurality of sets of encoded information yi to determine the plurality of the sparse vectors xi based on determining measurement matrix Ai(t); and uniting the plurality of the sparse vectors xi into a single image frame.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods, systems and computer readable storage medium for a method for operating one or more doors of a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by at least one radar sensor on the vehicle, input data related to one or more objects. The method further includes filtering, by the at least one radar sensor, vehicle environment noise from the received input. The method further includes identifying, by the at least one radar sensor, an external environment for the vehicle based on the filtered input. The method further includes operating, by a processor, one or more doors of the vehicle based on the external environment for the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for reducing sensor noise in an automobile vehicle NOx sensor offset diagnostic includes: connecting an exhaust system to an engine of an automobile vehicle; sensing a condition of the exhaust system using at least one NOx sensor; identifying when the at least one NOx sensor is at a low noise condition; and running a diagnostic to identify conditions of the at least one NOx sensor. The method further includes selecting one of the low noise condition as the engine in an after-run condition or as the engine in an engine idle condition.

Abstract: The present application relates to a method and apparatus for controlling an ADAS equipped vehicle including a sensor configured for determining a first distance to a first proximate vehicle and a second distance to a second proximate vehicle, a user input operative to receive a user preference, a memory operative to store a map data, a processor operative to generate a current lane score and an adjacent lane score in response to the first distance, the second distance, the user preference, and the map data, the processor being further operative to generate a lane change control signal in response to the adjacent lane score exceeding the current lane score and a vehicle controller operative to perform a lane change operation from a current lane to an adjacent lane in response to the lane change control signal.

Abstract: A method of activating a head restraint system in a vehicle for an occupant is provided. The method comprises providing a vehicle seat having a seat belt and a head restraint in the vehicle and detecting the occupant in the vehicle. The method further comprises actuating the seat head restraint of the vehicle seat to an in-use position if the seat belt is buckled. The method further includes providing an actuation signal to an electronic control module of the vehicle if the seat head restraint is actuated.

Abstract: In an accordance with an exemplary embodiment, an energy director is provided for use in ultrasonic welding, the energy director including: a first raised region extending upward from a surface of a base of a component to be welded; and a second raised region extending upward from the first raised region; wherein the first raised region is disposed underneath the second raised region, such that when material of the second raised region melts, the material of the first raised region is not melted and maintains an adhesive bond line thickness.

Abstract: A system includes a coolant pump and a first rotary valve. The coolant pump is configured to be mechanically driven by an engine and to send coolant to an inlet of the engine. The first rotary valve is configured to receive coolant from an outlet of the engine and to send coolant to a first radiator and a heater core. The first rotary valve is adjustable to a zero flow position to prevent coolant flow to the first radiator and the heater core and thereby increase a rate at which the engine warms coolant flowing therethrough.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle having a lidar sensor system is described. A computing system is configured to determine that the lidar sensor system is to update a code that is included in light signals emitted by the lidar sensor system. The computing system transmits a command signal to the lidar sensor system, wherein the command signal causes the lidar sensor system to transition from emitting light signals with a first code therein to emitting light signals with a second code therein, wherein the first code is different from the second code.

Abstract: In exemplary embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicles are provided that include: one or more sensors disposed onboard a vehicle and configured to at least facilitate obtaining sensor data for the vehicle; one or more location systems configured to at least facilitate obtaining location data pertaining to a location of the vehicle; a computer memory configured to store map data pertaining to a path corresponding to the location; and a processor disposed onboard the vehicle and configured to at least facilitate: generating an elevation profile along the path using the sensor data and the map data; and providing instructions for controlling the vehicle using the elevation profile.

Abstract: A battery outgassing filter system is provided. The system includes a battery cell, an external casing encapsulating the battery cell and including a casing vent, and an outgassing filter disposed upon the casing vent and including a filter element including a first filter element portion operable to contain a first size of particulate matter and a second filter element portion operable to contain a second size of particulate matter relatively smaller than the first size of particulate matter.